Come Back to Me
by theultimatenerdgurl
Summary: When you're being hunted down by a small, seemingly insignificant Italian Mafia famiglia, you can have all the time in the world to confess your feelings to your dying friend and comrade - if you don't get killed first. Rated T for material in later chapters. Pairings: 8059, small mention of one-sided 5927
1. Chapter 1

**A.N.: Woo, I'm back to writing! Camp was awesome, but I was so tired after the day was done that I fell asleep every night before I could dump out the fanfic ideas my brain was spouting onto paper. Now that I've recovered a little, I was finally able to put those ideas into words! Instead of like my past three KHR! fics, this baby is in Yamamoto's point of view. It's not exactly TYL!, but they are a little older. And this is going to be an 8059 fic, for those who were waiting for another one. No genderswap this time!**

**Summary: When you're being hunted down by a small, seemingly insignificant Italian Mafia famiglia, you can have all the time in the world to confess your feelings to your dying friend and comrade - if you don't get killed first.**

* * *

I'm not an idiot, despite what my grades say. Yeah, sure, I don't try hard in school, but that doesn't make me an _idiot._ I know more than I let on, I'm smarter than people think I am. Just because I'm some jock doesn't mean I don't have brains. I have them, and I know how to use them. I have to, in fact, if I want to stay alive. My name is Takeshi Yamamoto. At age seventeen, I'm a rising baseball star that may never have that future, because right now I'm being hunted down by the Italian Mafia, and I may not survive.

* * *

I'll start off by saying that it's _not_ my fault that a bunch of Italians are pissed off at me. They just figured out who I work for, and they really don't like him. And so, because they have no idea where he is, they decided to take their anger out on me to try and draw him out. That's the only bad thing about being good friends with your boss. Your enemies figure out if they can't reach your boss directly, they go for you, because they think you'll make easy bait.

It took a couple of years, but I finally worked out that this Mafia business wasn't a game – that is was real, and people could and would die to protect what they valued. I've accepted my role as the Rain Guardian of the Tenth Generation Vongola Famiglia, and I'm prepared for any trouble that comes my way. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. I train daily with my katana, a gift from my father, and help my friend and fellow Guardian Hayato Gokudera keep an eye on our boss at all times. Gokudera goes a little over the top sometimes with security measures, but part of that is because of his extreme devotion to our boss.

Back to the present – I'm currently trapped in Italy and being hunted down by some small Mafia famiglia that doesn't like the Vongola. Then again, a _lot _of Mafia famiglias don't like us, but they do have some respect for us, and tend to leave us alone. I have no idea where the other Guardians are at the moment – I'm completely alone. Three of us – myself, Gokudera, and Chrome – had come to Italy to settle some business with the Bovino – one of our friendly allies – when we were attacked by this famiglia, and we were separated. I've heard explosions every few minutes, so I know Gokudera is still alive, but it clearly sounds like he needs some backup.

On my first trip to Italy, I was surprised at how easy it is to disappear into a crowd, no matter how conspicuous you might be. Now, I know to use that to my advantage as I casually stroll along a canal, heading towards the plumes of smoke. I like Gokudera's fighting style – it's unique, and effective. The only downside is that it's not subtle at all. However, the explosions are highly effective here in Italy, causing the right amount of chaos I need to get close to the action. Then again, the explosions would be highly effective in causing that kind of scenario anywhere…

I already have my katana out by the time I run around the corner and into the cloud of smoke. I breathe in the thick air and smile – this smells familiar, dangerous, and comforting all at the same time. It only takes seconds before I'm engaged with one of the baddies and fighting for my life once again.

In baseball games, I always felt alive when I was up to bat. In fights like these, it was the same way, only a more intense feeling that lasted longer, and really woke me up. I don't know what it was, but I liked the thrill of risking my life to protect my friends, my boss, and the values of my famiglia. It just felt so right.

Of course, this perfect world of nothing but adrenaline rush is shattered when I hear Gokudera yell in pain, and turn to see him fall, his dark red shirt even darker than I thought possible. I can't explain the feeling that comes over me. It starts as complete numbness, before expanding and changing into white-hot rage. All I fully remember is letting out an animal scream of fury and standing over his fallen form, protecting him. He may act like he hates me, but to me, he's a friend, and someone I care about. I can't just let him die.

When the baddies are all hurt or running for their lives, it's then I sheath my katana and kneel down next to Gokudera. His breathing his ragged and heavy, his eyelids are fluttering. I slap his cheek, gently. "Stay awake, Hayato," I say to him as I slide my arms under his thin form and gently lift him into my arms. "Tsuna needs you," I say softly. I know mentioning our boss will keep him fighting for his life – he would do anything for Tsuna. The other Guardians think it's just an unhealthy obsession and devotion of subordinate and master, but I see something more. Gokudera has fallen hopelessly for Tsuna, even though he knows deep down that their relationship will be nothing more than a friendship between a boss and his loyal right-hand.

I disappear into the smoke just as it starts to dissipate, and quietly enter one of our safe houses – an abandoned house right alongside the canal. I gently set Gokudera on the lone bed and unbutton his shirt. He's barely awake, and his pale skin is even paler. He's lost a lot more blood than I thought.

I quickly cross the small room to the cabinet on the far wall across from the bed and pull out the medical supplies our allies had stashed there for us. I find everything I could possibly need – gauze, Band-Aids, medical tape, needle and thread, rubbing alcohol, and even painkillers. I grab everything and head back over to the bed and press a gauze pad lightly but firmly to the wide, gaping gash in Gokudera's left side. I watch his face, my brow furrowed in worry and concentration. This is the worst wound any of us have gotten on the job – I'm not trained to deal with something this severe. All I can do is hope that my limited training is enough to save my friend's life.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N.: I have no idea where this is going, people, I just write as it comes to me. Probably the reason I suck at planning things out...**

**Summary: Shamal to the rescue!**

* * *

I don't know how long I stayed in that small room, watching over Gokudera. I could hear the angry shouts in Italian – the persistent famiglia was still searching for us. We had no choice but to lay low for a while, and I didn't want to risk moving Gokudera again. I hoped Chrome could find us, if she were still alive and free. We had at least three safe houses in the immediate vicinity, so she had to be stopping by shortly. I debated calling Tsuna, but decided against it. He worried enough already – I didn't need to burden him more.

I dozed off a few times, but always woke myself up before I could get in too deep of a sleep. I didn't like fighting off no rest, but seeing as I was the only one in fighting condition, I would have to make do. Gokudera's barely awake – still breathing, and no longer bleeding, but he is in a constant struggle to stay conscious. I've never felt so helpless before. I honestly have no idea what to do, other than to keep the wound clean, and to keep it from bleeding.

I start to think that I should call Tsuna – he could put me in contact with someone he trusts that could fix Gokudera up… I stare at the cell phone in my hand for a long minute before I make up my mind, and call my boss.

* * *

"Tsuna? Yeah, it's Yamamoto. Listen, we, uh, ran into a bit of trouble down here. We got ambushed on our way to the meeting with the Bovino. I'm with Gokudera in a safe house, but he's badly hurt, and I have no idea where Chrome is. Do you know any doctors nearby that you trust?"

I bite my lip as I wait for his reply – I threw a lot at him at once, and I know he'll be dying to get to Italy to be with us.

"How badly is Gokudera-kun injured?" His now deeper and more matured voice comforts me like it always does, and re-affirms what I've always thought – this guy is the boss man.

I gently peel the gauze away from the gash and suck in a breath. I cleaned away the blood, but it had been dark, so I hadn't gotten a good look at the wound until now. "It's deep," I reply, forcing myself into a calm state. "Deep and clean, probably caused by a sword of some type. He's barely conscious, but the bleeding has stopped and his breathing has evened out a bit. It looks like it missed major organs, but I'm not totally sure."

There is another lengthy pause before Tsuna speaks again. "I'm sending Dr. Shamal, even though he supposedly only treats women. He's the best one we have, and he's close by. He'll look for Chrome in the other safe houses too, so you don't have to leave. Let me know if there is any change in Gokudera-kun," he says.

_You mean if he dies or miraculously gets better…_ "Will do, Boss. Sorry to have worried you."

Tsuna says nothing, and I hear a soft click as the line goes dead. All I can do now is wait some more, and hopefully when Shamal shows up, I can convince him to save his student.

* * *

Three hours pass before Shamal finally enters through the window with a young boy in tow. "You really stirred this goons up this time, boys," he grumbles as he straightens his clothes. I watch was the little boy vanishes and is replaced by a worn looking Chrome. "I found her in the second safe house, about six miles from here."

I stand and let Chrome take the only chair and look Shamal in the eyes. "Look, I know you don't treat guys, but this is serious, Shamal. I know you care for Gokudera – he's your student and everything – but drop the bullshit for once, and save his ass. I have some Mafioso looking to be exterminated." I turn my back on the three of them and jump out the window, into a darkened alleyway. Time to be tricky.

* * *

As a swordsman, I was taught that strength comes through training, and wisdom comes through experience. You learn which fights to win, which to lose, when to run, and when to go batshit crazy. But the biggest thing I learned in becoming a swordsman was quality. It doesn't take an expert to swing a sword and kill somebody, but it does take an expert to get a job done and nobody find out about it until hours later.

Stealth is the best thing I picked up from my teachers, and it really comes in handy in tight situations like this. In no time, I'm in the middle of the city again, strolling casually, putting as much distance as I can between the safe house and me. And then I do what I've never really had to do before. I go batshit crazy.

Well, not completely crazy, but I do make a scene as I wave my katana in the faces of random tourists, causing many to scream. All the screaming draws the attention of the Mafioso hunting me, and once they're on my tail, I take off running. This is one of the few times where baseball and sword fighting mix together, and also one of the few times I'm glad I ran so much for baseball training.

* * *

I keep the goons distracted for about two hours, running off nervous energy and giving Shamal time to work on Gokudera. These guys may hate our guts, but they really aren't bright at all. I don't bother trying with them because my skill level is so far above theirs. I don't want to get berated for a sloppy kill however, so I watch myself carefully.

I finally get bored of taunting the worthless goons and quickly lose them as I head back to the safe houses. Shamal is waiting for me.

"What the hell took you so long? I've been done for ages!"

I don't rise to his bait like Gokudera would. "I was bored, and wanted to make sure you have enough time. How is he?"

Shamal frowns a little. "Stable, but in need of an actual hospital. Do you have these guys off your tail for long enough?"

I nod. "Yeah, but we've got Chrome, so it wouldn't really matter." I glance at her and she smiles shyly before closing her eyes in concentration. I wait a moment more before she nods. "She can hide us from anything, so we're good."

Shamal grunts and enters the safe house. "Help me carry him then," he says.

So I do. We walk in an illusion, heading to Bovino headquarters, because it's the closest place that has a hospital, and we all can rest easy there.

I look down at Gokudera's peaceful face – he doesn't look like he's in pain, and I can tell he's resting, not unconscious. Despite his infatuation with women, Shamal does a damn good job with all of his patients.


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N.: Only chapter for today, sorry. I'm really busy this week, but next week, I should have more free time.**

**Summary: Yamamoto has a little confession.**

* * *

Something is wrong with me, and I have no idea what. I can't sleep, I can't keep any food down, and I can't function. I'm just a nervous ball of energy about to explode, and I don't know how to fix myself. I've been stuck in the Bovino headquarters for nearly a week now, watching over Gokudera. He still hasn't woken up from when Dr. Shamal closed up the gaping wound in his side.

To say I'm worried is an understatement. I've known Gokudera as long as I've known Tsuna – I consider him a close friend, even though he appears to hate me. I've accepted this Mafia business as real life, and now I'm watching someone I care about die because of it. It sickens me. All this blood lust and anger and destruction… All of it because these famiglias are just too power-hungry for their own good.

And yet, because of all of this, I want more than ever to remain in the Vongola famiglia, because of what Tsuna believes in – what I believe in. We are a pretty powerful famiglia, but Tsuna doesn't believe in fighting – he believes in peace. I want nothing more than to settle down to a peaceful life, with all of my friends alive and well.

I sit in the hard, uncomfortable hospital chair next to Gokudera's bed. He's hooked up to an oxygen mask and a heart monitor, a sight which rips my heart into pieces. Here is one of the most stubborn and determined of the Vongola, explosive in every way, fighting for his life because some idiot wanted to get back at Tsuna. A small smile, more of a grimace, surfaces as I think back to the hell I gave our pursuers yesterday, but the sliver of satisfaction is soon drowned out by the overwhelming grief in my heart.

Gokudera is dying.

I might as well rip out my own heart. Gokudera has always been there – if he suddenly wasn't there anymore, I don't know what I would do.

Plus, I have a confession to make to him.

Everyone has seen me as the best baseball player in a hundred years, bound to marry some rich, beautiful woman, and live a life of luxury. Well, I hate to disappoint all the fans that have that path for me in mind, but I have to.

I'm gay. And I'm hopelessly in love with Gokudera.

There, I said it. Cue all the yaoi fan girl screaming and whatnot. Honestly, I've known for a while that I was batting for the other team (**A.N.: wow, that's a terrible pun /shot**), but it wasn't until I met Gokudera that I knew without a doubt that I could love another man that way. The only problem is... He hates me, and only has eyes for Tsuna.

And he's now in a coma, and I have no idea when, or if, he will ever wake up.

* * *

I'm 95 percent sure Tsuna already knows what I think about Gokudera. I mean, he may be called "no-good" at school, but the guy is a hell of a lot more perceptive than anyone else I know. If he knows, I'm not surprised.

I first knew I was really attracted to Gokudera when we were stuck in the future in our past bodies trying to beat Byakuran of the Millefore famiglia. Watching him figure out the weapons his future self left him was just amazing. I had no idea how smart he was until I watched him crack his Sistema C.A.I.

If he knew, and he were completely healthy and in fighting condition, my ass would probably be halfway to the moon by now. Gokudera doesn't know how to react to affection whatsoever. He's just so clueless sometimes…

I'm drawn out of my thoughts by a weak groan. I jump in surprise when a hand touches my arm and thank God it's dark so the blush on my face isn't visible. "G-Gokudera?"

He coughs weakly. "Where the fuck am I?" His voice is hoarse, and barely above a whisper.

"Bovino Famiglia Headquarters – their hospital ward. I - ."

He cuts me off. "Did you at least take care of the bastards?"

A slow smile creeps across my face. "Yeah. I did."

I hear him breathe a sigh. "Good."

His breathing evens out, and he's back asleep – only this time, it's not comatose.

* * *

Now that Gokudera's awake and on the road to improvement, I pick up the phone and call Tsuna again to update him.

"Hey, Tsuna. Gokudera just woke up again – he's doing much better."

I hear a sigh of relief. "Good. Have you started negotiations with the Bovino yet?"

"I will soon – I wanted to update you on Gokudera first," I say looking at the closed door behind which Gokudera was resting.

"Call me as soon at the negotiations are over – I want both of you back in Japan as soon as possible."

"Both of us as in me and Chrome or me and - ?"

He cuts me off – not something he normally does. I can tell he's agitated. The famiglia that attacked us did a good job of pissing him off, which worries me a little. A pissed off Tsuna is a scary Tsuna. "Chrome arrived earlier today. As soon as Gokudera is stable enough for flight, get over here."

The line goes dead. I stare at the phone in my hand for a moment longer before I exit the hospital ward and head to the conference room – time to get down to business.

* * *

I hate business meetings. They drag on forever, even after the business is settled in the first five minutes. But it's like any sports game – you gotta play by the rules. It takes at least three hours before everyone's happy and I'm back in casual clothes. I don't understand how people can wear ties. Those things are so uncomfortable.

I find myself back in Gokudera's hospital room, keeping an eye on him. The hot-headed Italian boy looks so peaceful when he's asleep. When he's awake, it's like he's mad at everything.

I decide to wait until he's recovered more, and until we're back in Japan before I confess to him. Honestly, I don't want to shock and anger to end up killing him. I could never forgive myself.

Besides, when you're being hunted down by a persistent Mafia famiglia, you've got all the time in the world, right?


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N.: Sorry this update took a while - it's been storming here every single day, so I have limited opportunity to post D:**

**Summary: Yamamoto goes undercover in Italy, chasing down the boss of the famiglia that hurt Gokudera.**

* * *

Ah, adrenaline. The surge of newfound strength, the absence of fear, the intensity of focus. Every battle is the same – a big rush of adrenaline accompanied by the thrill of a near death experience. To say I enjoy what fighting brings is an understatement.

It's been a little over a month since Gokudera was flown back to Japan – I stayed behind in Italy to do some undercover work for Tsuna on the Greco Mafia famiglia – the bastards that were hunting us down the moment we arrived. They used to be a powerful force, but over the past few decades, their power has drastically dwindled, mostly because of a blood feud that split the famiglia into two factions – Ciaculli, and Croceverde Giardini. The sons of the former bosses of the two factions have established an unsteady peace for now.

Salvatore Greco, the current boss if the Ciaculli faction, also known as "The Engineer" was the man who ordered the attack. Supposedly he's been on the run from the police for a long time – the last time he was seen was in 2001. Apparently the bastard is still alive, and hiding out somewhere here in Italy. It's my job to track him down and report back to Tsuna – nothing more.

It's only inevitable that I stupidly walk into an ambush, provided by the Engineer himself.

Only in tight spaces do I wish I fought with something other than my katana, but it's only for a moment because I always find a way to quickly adapt to a situation. Even though it's been a while since I last clashed with these idiots, their intelligence hasn't improved one bit. I manage to win the short encounter, sporting only minor bruises on my back, and small cuts on my arms.

I tap the small wireless device attached to my ear. "Hey, anybody there?" Although the connection sucks, I'm in contact with our mini-base back home.

"What do you want, idiot?" Gokudera's gruff voice crackles over the tiny speakers, bringing a smile to my face.

"Just took care of another surprise package. _Capo_ Greco really has some idiot soldiers," I say with a small laugh.

"Che," he mutters. He's silent for a long minute before he says anything more. "Just be careful, idiot. Oh, and your Italian still sucks."

With that, the line goes dead, leaving me standing in the middle of a dark alley, surrounded by unconscious or dead Mafiosi, puzzling over what he said to me. Gokudera, the explosive Italian who hated my guts, was worried about me? That was new.

* * *

Four hours later, I'm relaxing in my hideout that has been my home for the past three weeks, scanning the security footage I managed to secure, as well as the activity around the supposed Ciaculli Greco headquarters. I hate being undercover – it's so boring sometimes, and all you do most of your days is sit on your ass doing surveillance. I can't wait to get back to Japan where things will feel normal again, or until I bust this elusive guy. For once, I want to do something actually useful.

I almost don't notice it because I'm focusing on something else, but the movement draws my attention to it. Something is happening around the headquarters – some kind of business transaction. I open up the connection Gokudera set up and send him the live footage. "Hey, 'Dera."

"What?" Grouchy as usual. Surprisingly, he doesn't bother trying to get me to say his full name – either he's past annoyed, or he's started to like the nickname.

"Looks like the Greco have a business meeting going on of some sorts. Can you understand anything they're saying?"

"If you shut the hell up I might be able to hear something," he retorts.

So I shut up, and wait patiently, listening to Gokudera muttering to himself as he studies the screen.

"How close are you?"

"What?" The question takes me by surprise – I was completely zoning out.

"How close are you to their base now?"

"Um, less than a block away. Why?" I sit up in my chair, watching the footage closely, even though I have no idea what the hell is going on.

"You see the old-looking guy in the back? That's Salvatore, and he's going to stand out there for a while longer – long enough to get a tracker on him if you're careful." I haven't heard Gokudera sound this excited about something this big in a while – it's good to hear.

"Relax, 'Dera, I got this," I say with a laugh as I exit through the back door of my hideout.

He grunts, but says nothing more.

* * *

This is the part I love about undercover work – all the sneaking around, getting to know the back roads – the _fun_ stuff. In no time, I'm right next door to the Ciaculli HQ, and I can hear at least three voices arguing in rapid-fire Italian. Gokudera speaks softly so he doesn't startle me.

"Salvatore is going to be on your left – goddammit, wave at the camera so I can see you. You look just like them," he complains, referring to the subordinate guards Salvatore has posted outside the alleyway. It's strange that no one's really noticed me yet. I slip into the alley, unnoticed. "Dead ahead – the balding guy with the striped tie."

I barely nod my head in acknowledgement – now I just need to find a way to tag our target and high-tail it out of there. I crouch down in the shadows and wait for the opportune moment, the tiny tracking device near invisible between my fingers.

"Now!" Gokudera's whisper is all I need before I'm in action. Quick and silent as a shadow, I dart up behind the Ciaculli _capo_ and attach the tracker to the underside of his jacket lapel with nothing more than a light touch before I sprint down the alley, no longer bothering with stealthy. Let them catch me. If they can.

* * *

I hang out in the crowds, pretending to be a fascinated tourist, for about two hours before I finally lose the last three Mafiosi that were trailing me. I grab something to eat from a street vendor and relax at a covered table. I'm exhausted, and with good reason – one fight and another near death experience in less than twelve hours? I'm ready to head home – my job here is done.

A shadow falls over me as I sit there and I immediately tense up, my hand creeping towards my katana, which is lying across my lap. "You don't make yourself easy to find, you know that? Che, stupid idiot…"

It takes all my willpower to not tackle him then and there.

* * *

**Notes: **

**The Greco famiglia actually exists and is still active in Italy today. It is split into two main factions, the Ciaculli and the Croceverde Giardini, although the two get along a little better today. The Greco used to be one of the most powerful mafia groups until a blood vendetta (feud) tore the famiglia apart. Salvatore "The Engineer" Greco's whereabouts really are unknown. No one knows if he's still alive or not, and he hasn't been captured by police. The last the authorities heard of him was in 2001.**

_**Capo**_** is Italian for "head" or "boss," as well as a lot of other words that have the same meaning as leader. Where do you think the word ****_decapitate_**** (lit. ****_to take off the head) _****came from?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N.: Uwah, I'm sooooo sorry for the extremely late update! Recovery time took longer than I thought, and then I had to rewrite this chapter several times and just... ugh, I'm sorry. I'll try to be better about it, I promise! Anyways... Once I finish this, it will probably be some time before I upload again, because school starts up again in about two weeks. FML. Anyways... I'm almost always available for beta-ing!**

* * *

Gokudera sits down across from me, dressed casually and looking at home, despite the haggard look he has on his face. I'm happy to see him, but when did he even get here?

"So what are you doing here, 'Dera?"

He looks off into the distance, mindlessly twirling an unlit cigarette between his fingers. "I was on my way here when you called the first time," he says, still not looking at me. "Tenth didn't want you out here on your own. The others will be here tomorrow with him."

I study his face – he's wearing his business face, the passive/aggressive demeanor he holds whenever he's handling something important. One thing I've noticed is that whenever we go to Italy for business, he always seems more relaxed – like coming home is sort of an elixir for him. "How are you holding up?" I ask, my voice soft. Tsuna had told me a few days earlier that Gokudera wasn't healing as quickly as he should be.

"Better," he mutters, his hand brushing against his left side lightly. He sees the worry in my eyes and scowls. "I'm fine," he snaps, standing. "Tenth told me to find you and wait at Bovino headquarters for his arrival."

I stand as well. "I gotta pick up some stuff from my hideout first," I say, putting my katana, hidden in its special case, across my back and tightening the strap before I head off down the road, taking the short way back.

He grumbles, but follows me anyways. Tsuna told him to stick with me, and he will. He never disobeys that man. Ever.

* * *

I make Gokudera wait outside as I gather up what little supplies I have and stuff them into a backpack I found (no, I didn't steal it, I _found_ it. There's a difference.). Soon, I'll be heading back home to Japan. Sure, Italy is nice, but I miss the comforts of home.

An hour later, we're relaxing in a guest room in the Bovino mansion, waiting to hear from Tsuna on his arrival with the other four Guardians. Gokudera is sitting at the desk in our shared room, working on something important, I guess, and I'm sitting across from him, just watching him work. I know at some point, I'll have to tell him what I feel, but I don't know how he'll react. He's just too unpredictable sometimes.

I'm so deep in thought that I don't even notice when he stops working to stare back at me, a small smile on his face. It's not until he snorts that I notice.

"You're such an idiot, you know that?" He's wearing an almost playful smirk, trying to hold back his laughter.

I really hope I'm not blushing as much as I feel like I am. "What?"

He rolls his eyes, back to his old self. "I'm not an idiot, Takeshi. It's kinda obvious you have a thing for me."

"Is it that obvious?" I ask stupidly.

He laughs. "Yes. It is," he says, the smile quickly disappearing. He looks back down at his work, a scowl crossing his face again, and he's lost to me in his special world.

…was it really that obvious? I mean, I wasn't truly sure that I liked him until a short while ago – how long had he known? A puzzled look crosses my face and I just sit there, staring at the floor, trying to think.

"-moto. Yamamoto!" Something hits the top of my head, and I look up, confused. Gokudera's standing in front of me, one hand covering his face. "God, you're hopeless," he mutters. "Come on, Tenth just called me."

I stand up, still a little confused on what the hell just happened, and follow him from the room. I let him drive, because honestly, I get lost way too easily in this place. He knows it better than any of us, anyways. I watch him out of the corner of my eye, still studying him, his pale, unblemished skin, his angry yet watchful green eyes, his silver-grey hair, his long, slender fingers…

The truth suddenly hits me, hard. God, I'm an idiot. I should have known. If he hadn't figured it out for himself, Tsuna would have told him. And knowing him, he would have dismissed it, because he only has eyes for Tsuna…

"Stupid," I mutter to myself under my breath, not even bothering to look in his direction anymore. He's already parked the car and is watching the people enter and exit the airport, looking for his beloved boss. He hears me and just turns to look at me, not saying anything for a moment, just staring. I don't even notice.

"Takeshi." His voice is soft, gentle even. A little startled, I turn to face him, a question forming on my lips, but I don't even have a chance to ask it, because the only thing my mind can process – well, _barely_ – is Gokudera's lips against mine. _Wait, what?_

He pulls away, but leaves his face close to mine and studies my face, one eyebrow raised. "You really are an idiot," he murmurs with a small smile. "How did you not see that coming?"

"I…," I blush and look down. "I thought you and Tsuna…"

Gokudera leans back into his seat with a half-disgusted, half-amused look on his face. "Seriously, Takeshi? Me and Tenth?" He throws his head back and laughs. "Yes, Tenth is attractive, but he's just not my type. Besides, if he and I had a relationship like that and something went wrong, it would destroy the famiglia. Neither of us can allow that to happen."

"I-I thought you hated me." I look back up at him, and am greeted with a small smirk.

"Hated you? Nah, that was just a cover-up. I didn't want anyone noticing I liked you – you especially."

It takes a moment for that to sink in. "Oh."

He just rolls his eyes and pokes my arm. "Go get Tenth, he's coming out now. I'll stay with the car."

I take a moment to compose myself before I open the door and head over to where I see Tsuna and the others. I smile and greet them, even though they all look guarded and tired. And in the back of my mind, I replay the kiss over and over again, still trying to figure out how it all happened.


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N.: First of all, I would like to apologize for my absence - school has completely taken over more than I thought it would, and I've had almost no spare time. Secondly, this chapter is short. REALLY short. When time frees up, I'm going to go back and make a longer, second ending, but for now, here is the last chapter of CBM (or CBtM whatever). Thank you to everyone who has/will review, it means a lot to me. This piece was extremely hard, as I was writing from the perspective of someone I can't really relate to. I should be working/posting chapters on my other unfinished works soon, as well as opening up another door to another fandom (hint: Criminal Minds). Again, thank you for reading, I apologize again for the length of this chapter, and please, leave a review! Positive and negative feedback are accepted. I know I'm a young writer and that I have a lot of room for improvement.**

**~theultimatenerdgurl**

**P.S. Another thing I forgot to mention - thank you to everyone who has followed/Favorited this! Your support means a lot to me! Thank you all so much! **

* * *

_"Go get Tenth, he's coming out now. I'll stay with the car."_

Those were the last words I ever heard him say before he disappeared. It was bad enough he was already weakened by his injury. Now, the man I loved and respected had vanished, stolen away from me when I turned away for just a minute. No, Gokudera wasn't dead; at least, I didn't _think_ he was dead. Tsuna was livid – he was barely controlling his anger, something I had never witnessed before. He _never_ got this angry, ever! Of course, we were all worried, but what could we do? We had no information, no insights, no leads… Gokudera and his kidnappers had been pulled out of sight from right under our noses.

I don't worry often; I'm an easy-going kind of guy. But this? Oh yeah, I was just a _little_ worried about my friend – well, maybe more than a friend now, which is probably why I'm so worried. 'Dera and I had always looked out for each other, no matter what, and I felt awful. I had failed him, twice. First, watching him get injured, and now this. To say I was in a depressional low was an understatement. This whole thing was my fault, I was sure of it.

* * *

It's been six months, and Tsuna's ordered me back to Japan, but I don't want to go. There's still been no sign of Gokudera, and the family that assaulted us, the Greco, have "repented" of their sins and pledged themselves to our cause. I know they're guilty, and Tsuna does too, but there's nothing we can do without having solid proof, which doesn't seem to exist, anywhere.

I take one last look around the room Gokudera and I had shared at Bovino HQ and rest a hand on the doorknob before I close the door, struggling to hold myself together. "Come back to me," I whisper, before I shut the door. "Come back to me…"


End file.
